Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-15

testimony Oh LQe women was mOIe laSOId-
BILE to O'Del than Lamb, both stating
that he was at the house when the shots
were heard and that Lamb was absent at
the time. Mrs. Pollard swore that she
was unaware of her husbands death un-
til after she was arrested, Lamb having
led her to believe that he had deserted
her. The theory OF the prosecution was
that d conspiracy had been entered into
by the young men to kill both Pollard
and Brassfleld, but the latter having
saved his life by flight left only Pollard to
dispose Of, and no matter which one of
them did the actual killing,
both were alike guilty. This
theory being we'll sustained by
circumstantiGl evidence, the Jury was out
but short time when verdict of guilty
as to both the defendants was brought in.
Their case developed rot only murter, but
larceny and bigGmy, they having not only
robbed their victims of their families, but
all other movable property they possessed,
besides living together in state Of de-
bauchery revolving in the extreme, both
couples most CT the time occupying the
same room. When passing sentence upon
them, Judge Parker remarked in reply to
their objections to the sentence that to
his option the faithless wives were as
deep in the conspiracy as they were, and
ought TO be at that moment beside them
in the dock.
Lamb was twenty-three years of age;
was born in Crawford county, Ark,
and had lived in the Indian country
but fourteen months, when the
trouble occurred for which he paid 80
dearly. His mother still lives in the
ChiCssaw nation.
O'Dtll was born in Franklin county,
Ala, and is twenty six years of age.
During his childhood his parents removed
to Texas, and his mother now lives in
Comanche county, that state. At the
time of Pollard's mur1er he had been
living in the Territory two years. 1t is
the general belief that he was not pres
ent at the killing of Pollard, though he
was aware that the deed was going to be
done and helped to conceal the crime,
consequently the president would not
have been censured if he had committed
him to life Imprisonment. When the
news came dispelling their last ray If
hope, both gave way to bitter tears, but
Lamb soon braced up and
discussed his condition coolly, saying he
was not afraid to dir, and We're it not for
his poor old mother he would go to the
gallows willingly, but said be thought the
president ought to pardon O'Dell, as he
did not help do the killing, as his life
was sufficient to pay for that of Pollard.
Hang me and let O'Dell CO." he said to
Marshal Carroll, "for ne does not deserve
to be hung"
JOHN STEPHENS.
was o fne-looking mulatto, twenty-siX
years of age, and rot notwithstanding
man by any means. He was convicted on
September 2 of most diabolical triple
murder on the Delaware reservation in
the Cherokee nation, his victims being
Mrs. Annie Carr and her son, Louis Win
tiers, and DR.. James T. Pile.
The circumstances of his crime or
crimes according to the evidence on
which he was convicted are briefly as
follows: On the night of May IS
last Mrs. Carr and her son were .rutally
murdered as they were sleeping g. their
home, the murderer having split both
their heads with an AK. On the same
night some one entered the residence Of
DR.. Pile, who was a neighbOr Of Mrs.
Carr, and erdeavored to murder the
whole family, knocking the doctor and
Mrs. Pile in the head with an OK, bruising
up hired man who was sleeping in the
house, and striking little six-year
old child. The tragedies aroused the
whole neighborhood at an early hour
next morning, and it was soon leaned
that John Stephens had borrowed horse
aud saddle blanket sitter dark on the
night of the murder from an Indian
named Charlie Whitefeather, who lived
seven miles IRON Mrs. Carr. The saddle
bla ket was found at DR.. Piles, also a
foot-rag such as are frequently used by
negroes in place of socks. These ar
ticles had been lost by the muir
derer in his hurry to get away
and the blanket was identified
by Whltefeather as the one he had loaned
Stephens. He was found about twelve
miles from the scene and arrested, still
having in his possession Whitefeather's
horse, but minus the blanket. The mate
to the foot rag was found in his pocket.
He could give no account Of his where
aNouts the night of the murder, ard was
ct once brought 10 Fort Smith and
lodged in Jail. When arraigned for trial
he had prepared no defense, not even
having employed lawyer and the court
appointed counsel 20 defend him. The
evidence was all against him, and,
though circumstantial, was very plain, as
to Pile at least, who lived six days after
receiving his injuries, while Mrs. Pile
recovered and was q wit
ness at the trial, bearing the fearful
scar left by the ak, in the
back of her head out of which fourteen
small pieces of bone had been taken.
Stephens attempted to prove an abb on
his own evidence, but utterly failed, and
his conviction was foregone conclusion
before the case went to the jury. No
motive for the bloody deed was disclosed,
but it was thought the murder of Mrs.
Carr and her son was instigated
by her husband, from whom she
was separated. He and his son were ar
rested as accessories, but the grand Jury
ignored the case and they were dis
charged. DR.. Pile was witness against
Stephens in a larceny case, which may
have led to his murder, but in both in
stances it is only surmised as to the mo-
tive that prompted the murderer in his in
human butchery.
Stephens was born In Iroquois county,
Ill, and was twenty-eight years OF age.
His father and mother now live in
Kansas. and he has wife and one child
in the Cherokee nation, where he had
been living for twelve years prior to the
murders which broke his neck.